Chapter 119

Like in his previous life, this world also had customs of considering animals as good or bad omens.

Especially in the case of crows, they were often considered quite auspicious in the north and in the forest.

This was because crows were wise enough to know how to escape danger and were grateful beings that delivered news from far away.

Naturally, Wendigo didn’t dislike crows either…

“Because of you, I’m starting to dislike innocent crows.”

Wendigo grumbled to Alfodr, resting his head on his hand.

To think that the ability to possess the most common and familiar animal in this forest belonged to a god who smelled of trickery like Alfodr.

Wendigo looked with disapproval at the crow wandering around the table, peering into a bowl of fruit.

The crow, no, Alfodr, pecked at a ripe green grape and answered nonchalantly:

“You’re too harsh. Have I ever harmed you until now?”

“You seem to always be causing mental harm.”

“According to the fair contract judged by the Creation God, it seems not.”

Is this what it means to be the god of poetry, no, the god of trickery?

Even when Wendigo showed obvious discomfort, Alfodr leisurely savored the green grapes. Wendigo asked Alfodr directly, shuddering:

“What scheme do you have that makes you want to become a patron of the university?”

“These grapes are really delicious! This crow seems to like them too, so please wait a moment.”

‘Is he perhaps hoping I’ll break the contract?’

Wendigo thought, staring at Alfodr who wouldn’t stop pecking.

Alfodr, giving in to the crow’s instincts, was devouring the grapes with possessed pecking.

If he had come in a created body, Wendigo could have pretended to make a mistake and struck his head.

Unaware that Wendigo was contemplating how to deal with him, Alfodr finished demolishing a bunch of grapes and flapped contentedly.

“Your subjects are truly deeply loyal. To present dozens of bunches of such delicious grapes.”

“If you’re thinking of messing with my subjects, I’d like you to forget it.”

“Hey now. I understand, so put those claws down. What sin has this crow committed?”

Alfodr folded his flapping wings and opened his mouth, staring at Wendigo:

“As I said before, we northern gods have changed quite a bit. You could say we reflected on our sins at the end of our boredom.”

“… From what I’ve heard, the world went into chaos when you returned.”

Wendigo was dumbfounded. He never expected Alfodr to say with his own mouth that they had become good.

How few good people must there be in the world for those who brought chaos to the world to call themselves good?

Alfodr seemed inwardly pricked too, as he turned his head rapidly, avoiding Wendigo’s gaze.

Though with a bird’s eye structure, no matter how he turned, he couldn’t help but see Wendigo.

“Tch. Can’t make it a one-eyed crow… Anyway! What I want to say is that we agreed not to commit destructive actions like before!”

Alfodr shouted proudly, spreading his wings.

Before suffering in the punishment given by the Creation God, the northern gods were no different from coachmen driving an unstoppable carriage.

The problem was that the coachmen enjoyed whipping the horses like drunken revelers with no intention of stopping the carriage.

After all, great heroes were meant to bloom using the corpses of other heroes as fertilizer!

“Forgetting the reason they pursued power, enduring trials they no longer remember why they need to overcome, and looking back on the path they walked at the final chapter of fate with a vacant expression, the appearance of heroes is truly the best, but…”

“Your tastes are quite vile. To enjoy pushing others into pain and watching them despair.”

Wendigo recoiled. He wasn’t a pervert who felt pleasure from giving pain to others.

Just enjoying a delicious meal, talking with a bright smile with his people, and being able to chuckle when recalling the day was enough to make him happy.

“What can we do? Gods were born with overwhelming power and immortality from birth. For us who lived in happiness all our lives, despair was a kind of romance.”

Alfodr shrugged his wings. He had no intention of denying Wendigo’s words.

The heroes of the north walked a bloody path, and most often, it ended with them being avenged by other heroes.

Alfodr didn’t deny that they had forced such a path on them.

“But we’ve changed since tasting loss, sorrow, and despair.”

Gods do not hunger. They don’t age as time passes, nor do they weaken from illness.

Their bodies were truly perfect… and thus, they lacked any deficiency.

At least before being banished from Midgard, most gods were like that.

They realized deficiency by being driven out of Midgard… and also realized the emotion of attachment.

“I know well why you dislike us. There are indeed quite a few fellows who can’t correct their habits and keep causing trouble.”

There’s a god of the sky who can’t control his lower body and enjoys debauchery in the land that was his domain.

There’s a god who feels sorry for the barren land and people’s hearts that have been neglected for a long time and is cultivating the land by controlling rain and wind.

There’s a sun god who is angry at seeing the descendants of a powerful empire that could build temples of gold living like natives.

Naturally, the lands where gods started to exert their power fell into chaos.

Whether their intentions are good or evil, it’s a kind of inevitability that problems arise when gods start to have a big influence on Midgard.

“We confirmed the chaos happening in the south and were certain. Ah, we can’t even play there even if we want to!”

“Stop wagging your beak. So?”

“So we decided to play quietly. Not kneading mortals’ lives too much with power or trials… it’s really a kind of patronage.”

Being caught by the Creation God again and exiled to an unbearably boring place was out of the question.

Above all…

“At first, I thought we had no choice because our power had weakened… but I found there’s a certain joy in sharing just a little power.”

The northern gods discovered the fun of watching mortals grow with meager power.

Rather than the chaos caused by overwhelming power, they began to find joy in seeing mortals worry, grow, and change as a result.

Alfodr recalled a warrior he had recently bestowed power upon and stroked his beak with his wing.

“I gave just enough blessing to make his body stronger, but he stabbed his father who was trying to hand over his lover to the empire, withstood the spears and swords of warriors, and escaped.”

The warrior, who confessed his love to his lover while covered in wounds, clung to his hazy consciousness and rode away on horseback.

As soon as they left tribal lands, the warrior’s lover tenderly cared for his wounds…

“When I saw them recently, the warrior had sworn to protect the woman, hanging up his shield and sword. He set out on the road back to his tribe, having no choice but to return to protect her.”

“That’s wonderful.”

“That’s exactly it. We’ve started to find interest in such small stories.”

Alfodr raised his wing towards Wendigo and nodded.

The northern gods watched this scene with Alfodr and found it very interesting.

They had only given a small power, but seeing someone strive for their lover with it was truly entertaining.

Thus, the northern gods decided to enjoy amusement in this world in a new way.

They decided to bestow power that could overturn fate depending on mortals’ choices, even if that power was weak, and observe the mortals.

But there was one problem here…

“Even when we find suitable friends, most are under your influence. Everyone’s just stomping their feet in frustration.”

“So you want to become patrons of the university to enjoy yourselves?”

“There are so many interesting people there.”

They were people who had gained recognition for their talents or status and were admitted from various places. How many of them wouldn’t have stories?

The gods were no different from children who had a box full of toys in front of them but couldn’t play with them.

Alfodr flew onto Wendigo’s shoulder and whined:

“If they’re going to receive blessings anyway, wouldn’t it be better if those who could help you received them?”

“Hmm…”

Wendigo pondered. It wasn’t an entirely unreasonable suggestion.

It’s inevitable that gods influence Midgard. These powerful and bored beings weren’t the type to just play among themselves.

Rather, if it happened in a place where he could directly confirm…

“Please, I beg you. I’m the king of gods, do you know how many complaints I’ve heard? If I wrote them down, they’d fill this room and still—”

“Shut up before I fill a room with complaints too.”

Wendigo sighed and set a few conditions for Alfodr.

Excluding the most basic restrictions learned from Dario, to put it concisely, they were as follows:

Do not bestow power on those with bad tendencies.

Do not cause trouble by becoming obsessed with mortals.

Lastly, pay a few treasures as compensation.

“… The others are fine, but isn’t asking for treasures too much? They’re treasures from the mythical age, after all.”

“I’m not asking for anything too precious, so even something moderate would be enough.”

“Ngh.”

Alfodr groaned and looked troubled, but Wendigo wasn’t fooled.

How much could a being who was the king of gods begrudge handing over just a few treasures?

Wendigo pressed Alfodr in a nonchalant voice:

“If you don’t like it, we can pretend this conversation never happened…”

“Sigh. You used to be more naive, it’s a shame. Alright. I don’t have treasures I can hand over right away, so I’ll specially engrave runes on three objects myself.”

“Can’t sorcerers handle runes too?”

“… Are you really comparing the runes of gods to what sorcerers use?”

Alfodr asked Wendigo, dumbfounded.

The runes used by sorcerers were, simply put, the most basic runes. Naturally, the runes used by gods were of a higher grade.

“Even one engraving would be considered a legendary artifact among mortals, so I’d appreciate if you were grateful.”

“I don’t particularly need them, but I suppose it’s better than nothing.”

“……”

Alfodr fell silent, unable to refute. Indeed, treasures useful to Wendigo were hard to find in the world.

It was natural, as he himself was a monster with amazing power.

Alfodr quietly added additional terms to the contract he had sworn to the Creation God.

Having achieved his goal, Alfodr was about to slip out through the window when…

“Ah, about the additional terms added to this contract. If there’s someone who taught you, could you tell me?”

“Why are you curious about that?”

Wendigo was puzzled. He couldn’t understand why Alfodr was curious about this.

Was he perhaps trying to take revenge because Dario made it impossible for him to cheat…

“It seems they have quite a talent for trickery. The restrictions are so detailed it’s admirable, and this is only possible if one’s mind works that way.”

“… So?”

“Well, I was thinking of bestowing a small blessing…”

“……”

Wendigo recalled Dario, who was good at trickery, and recoiled. Shouldn’t there be a limit to how good one’s abilities are?

Wendigo chased Alfodr away without answering.